The Life Sentence (An Article About Not Gambling, and playing it straight like a shot of reality embodied)

Life is as good as we make it, and that is not a gamble. That is a fact.

After this song, I am not going to mince words about what it really takes to live a good life

Well I never been to SpainBut I kinda like the musicSay the ladies are insane thereAnd they sure know how to use itThey don't abuse itNever gonna lose itI can't refuse it

Well I never been to EnglandBut I kinda like the BeatlesWell, I headed for Las VegasOnly made it out to NeedlesCan you feel itIt must be real itFeels so goodOh, feels so good

Well I never been to heavenBut I been to OklahomaWell they tell me I was born thereBut I really don't rememberIn Oklahoma, not ArizonaWhat does it matterWhat does it matter

Well I never been to Spain

Sanity is not taking irrational risks. A rational risk, I can always see, but irrational risks where there is no certainty of winning at them except pure luck? No. That is not sanity, that is insane gambling. That is why I started with seeming inanity with that Three Dog Night song "Never Been To Spain" By the way, I did not misspell insanity, I did mean inanity or an emptiness of meaning or reason and a complete irrational gamble. Get it?

Most gambles are worse than injecting yourself with active HIV/AIDS virus, and expecting to be inoculated against it like a man a few years ago who did just that. Or my favorite, winning the lottery through the purest of luck without buying a ticket and expecting it to blow into your hand on a windy day. So, for a moment to sound as irrational as I did when I was twelve on a van ride on a school field trip with Rainbow Bridge Center: "My Mother was born in Chicago, and it was a windy city, you can either expect a bullet to blow up on you or a lottery ticket to blow into your hand with the trash from a numbers game." All that subtly sarcastic joke got me was extra schoolwork and after school punishment from my teachers. So much for gambling on humor being charming. But let me get to the point:

Gambling or cant in any way is an irrational act, no matter how we try to justify it. Developing skill to win what we are gambling for is a rational act, even if it takes longer and luck is not depended on. To some, I may sound silly, but what made Michael Jackson an amazing performer was that he could repeat the Moonwalk and all of his other amazing dancing on stage with perfect precision and feeling and know how it was done on that stage. No gambling on a hit on his part, he knew what would sell and did it repeatedly. I understand. Our good friends of Neuro-Linguistic Programming Richard Bandler and John Grinder called this modeling and repeating what works. Despite his offstage flaws, Michael Jackson knew how to create great realities onstage if you know what I mean.

So, what does it take to live a good life? Develop the skill to do what works repeatedly. It is that simple, but what else does it take: "Come on seven on dice take me to nice heaven and baby needs a new pair of shoes!"?

You can tell now, that I am writing partly to amuse myself, and partly to inform people about what it really takes to live a good or great life. Develop! Do not gamble and try to get it quick. "Well, I headed to Las Vegas and only made it out to Needles" MY point to using that line there is the real owners of Vegas are not gamblers, they are business investors. Only the people who visit, gawk and play are gamblers that lose to those business investors. The losers are from "Needles", and the business investors own Las Vegas.

"Joshua"

Joshua fought the battle of Jericho,Jericho, Jericho,Joshua fought the battle of Jericho,And the walls came tumbling down!

You may talk about your men of Gideon,You may talk about your men of Saul,But there's none like good old JoshuaAnd the battle of Jericho!

Joshua fought the battle of Jericho,Jericho, Jericho,Joshua fought the battle of Jericho,And the walls came tumbling down!Right up to the walls of JerichoThey marched with spear in hand;"Go blow them ram horns," Joshua cried,"Cause the battle is in my hand."

Joshua fought the battle of Jericho,Jericho, Jericho,Joshua fought the battle of Jericho,And the walls came tumbling down!

Then the lamb, ram,Sheep horns began to blow,And the trumpets began to sound,Joshua told the children to shout that morningAnd the walls came tumbling down!

Joshua fought the battle of Jericho,Jericho, Jericho,Joshua fought the battle of Jericho,And the walls came tumbling down!And the walls came tumbling down!And the walls came tumbling down!

"With genuine God on your side, there is not a gamble. But scientist, create me some dirt from scratch without any materials." My Dad and Mom once mentioned that argument, telling me why they named me "Joshua". Thinking to myself about what I just mentioned in those two first sentences after the song. Remembering that fact makes me feel genuinely spiritual. Because with genuine God on one's side, there is not a gamble. But let a scientist even try to create dirt like God from scratch without any sign of molecules, atoms or structures: Good luck!

I believe in blessings most genuine. But go against the Great Casino House Investor or God, and you always lose because of the facts I am mentioning. Jericho was a great city full of soldiers and great people, but Joshua had the great investor God on his side, so what happens and who wins? The Great Casino House Investor God.

So, what if we put leaders in a cage for hand to hand combat without nukes, troops, thrones, chairs, boards, planes, budgets, and all? War would end quickly, very quickly, would it not? May the best leader win.

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Meet the author

JoshuaClaytonI am a freelance writer based in Inglewood, California, USA. I used to write under a few aliases, but now I have nothing to hide and write mostly under my own name. I write mostly on self-help topics.